The Next Generation Jaguar F-Type Is Going Electric

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No-one should be surprised.

Jaguar is not at all shy about its future electrification plans. Just look at the upcoming I-Pace crossover. And now Jaguar design chief Ian Callum has revealed to Automotive News that plans are in place for an electric next-generation F-Type sports car. “We are going to do another range of sports cars eventually,” Callum said. “(Sports cars) are not going to go away.” Well, that’s a relief, but will a future F-Type with an electrified powertrain still be a proper F-Type? That’s the big question.

Based on what we’ve learned about the upcoming I-Pace, and what EVs are already capable of given all of that instant torque, the future isn’t so bleak. Quite the opposite. The key to it, however, is to find a way to maintain specific sports car characteristics, specifically handling, in this new era. But Callum, in general, remains bullish on the sports car’s future. “There are a number of people in the world who think sports cars are finished because SUVs can get around a corner as quick as a sports car can, technology being what it is. But there is something very emotional about a sports car that conveys the ultimate in the sense of performance and design.” Clearly, Callum gets is.

Hopefully others do as well. In the meantime, we honestly know very little else about the next-generation F-Type. The current car, which is receiving a refresh for 2018, was launched in 2013, so its successor isn’t too far out. Callum didn’t state when that new F-Type will arrive, but did reiterate that every new Jaguar “launched after 2020 will have some form of electrification. That is full electric, plug-in hybrid or mild hybrids.”